Sponsors (17)
The bill protects career civil servants and continuity of public services during funding lapses at the cost of reducing managers' flexibility, potentially raising taxpayer costs and complicating emergency or national-security personnel actions.
Federal career employees and the public: career staff cannot be removed (including by RIF) during funding lapses, preserving job security, retaining institutional knowledge, and reducing disruptions to public services.
Federal career employees: the bill narrows exemptions to political appointees only, limiting political influence over career personnel and strengthening merit-based civil service protections.
Emergency-response and national security officials: personnel action restrictions during funding lapses may hinder urgent operational changes and complicate crisis management.
Agency managers and taxpayers: limits on removing or reorganizing poor-performing career staff during lapses reduce managerial flexibility and can prolong underperformance.
Taxpayers: retaining employees who cannot lawfully be removed during prolonged funding gaps could increase personnel costs without corresponding productivity gains.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits removal of career civil service employees (including by RIF) during any lapse in discretionary appropriations, while exempting political appointees.
Official title: To prohibit any Executive agency from terminating employees during any period in which there is a lapse in appropriations, and for other purposes.
Introduced October 3, 2025 by Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick · Last progress October 3, 2025
Prohibits the President and heads of Executive agencies from removing career civil service employees — including by reduction in force — during any lapse in discretionary appropriations, while exempting political appointees. Defines key terms ("civil service," "Executive agency," "political appointee," and "political position") by reference to existing U.S. Code and OPM regulations.